On behalf of United by Trauma and OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas, we would like to express our sincere thanks to all those who generously contributed to the GoFundMe campaign to train a service dog for people living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Your generosity helped a PTSD survivor get a buddy for those difficult times.
We were touched and gratified by the number of individuals who recognized the terrible effects of PTSD – and wanted to do something to help. While one of our campaign goals was to help make this therapy for PTSD available, we also wanted to educate and raise awareness about the illness.
One important fact we tried to communicate was that many professionals are susceptible to PTSD – not just first responders and frontline workers. We are counting on concerned individuals like you to help spread the word about PTSD and its impact on a large and diverse number of people.
We had set a very ambitious goal of $12,000. You gave $3,055 – or about a quarter of the cost to train a service dog. When GoFundMe fees of $255.64 were deducted, we were left with $2,799.36. Considering how little publicity there was around the campaign, this is a truly wonderful result.
In light of the success you helped us achieve, we have decided to do this again next year. We hope we can count on your generosity once more as we continue to work towards covering the cost of training a support dog – a cost that may seem high but is justified by the priceless value of the support it provides.
Thank you again for your gift! Please know that it will make a real and positive difference in the life of someone struggling with PTSD.
Jamie Ramage, Ambulance Division Chair, OPSEU
Ed Arvelin, Mental Health Division Chair, OPSEU
James Grenier, Youth Corrections Chair, OPSEU